The Palestinian Jalazone camp is seen north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on November 4, 2024. AFP file
The UAE has vehemently denounced the remarks made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich concerning the preparation for asserting Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank within the next year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing its firm opposition to all inflammatory statements and actions intended to alter the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as any practices that contravene international legitimacy resolutions.
On Monday, the Israeli minister vowed to annex Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank by 2025, viewing Donald Trump's potential return to power in the United States as a significant opportunity. "The year 2025 will be, with God's help, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria," the minister stated, referring to the biblical name for the West Bank.
The ministry warned that such actions could precipitate further perilous escalation and tension in the region, impeding efforts to attain peace and stability. It also emphasized the necessity of supporting all regional and international endeavors to revitalize the peace process in the Middle East, and to cease the illegal practices that jeopardize the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Furthermore, the UAE reiterated its steadfast commitment to advancing peace and justice and securing the rights of the Palestinian people. The ministry urged the international community to exert efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire to avert further loss of life, prevent further escalation in the occupied Palestinian territory and the region, and to propel all efforts towards achieving comprehensive and just peace. With inputs from AFP
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